Thanks to two grants from the Reynolds/Cristiano Fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, and funding from the PNC Foundation, MSH was able to complete improvement projects at four of our properties in the Mid-Shore region.
 
​​Caroline Co: Our Thrive House in Denton, MD offers two 2-bedroom units of quality, affordable, supportive housing for four young adults (18-25) with psychiatric disabilities who are aging out of the Foster Care systems of the 5 Mid-Shore counties. Thanks to grant funds from the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, we were able to have a contractor trim back the overhanging branches of a large tree and remove several very overgrown bushes, both of which were interfering with our ability to maintain the roof and gutters. MSH staff installed new, colorful and low-maintenance shrubbery that enhances the property’s fit in the neighborhood and increases tenants’ pride in their home.

​Dorchester Co: Our 3-unit apartment building in Cambridge, MD serves a total of four (4) tenants living with psychiatric disabilities and Extremely Low Income. Grant funds from the Mid-Shore Community Foundation were used to complete three important projects. An electrician installed emergency lighting and new 10-year lithium battery smoke detectors in the building’s common hallway. MSH staff added a gravel parking pad in the rear of the building, which is often subject to muddy conditions. Finally, we installed new bushes and mulch along the front of the house. This property is located in an attentive and engaged community, and our efforts to improve the exterior are much appreciated by the tenants and their neighbors.

Queen Anne’s Co: Grant funding from the PNC Foundation made it possible for MSH to have two overgrown trees removed from our two properties in Queen Anne’s County. One tree had been knocked over after numerous storms battered the Eastern Shore this Spring, and the other had grown far beyond our capacity to keep safely trimmed. Both properties now benefit from more sunlight and a better view!

Harford and Howard Co: We purchased our townhome properties in Harford and Howard Counties well more than a decade ago, and the wall-to-wall carpeting at each of these units had definitely reached beyond the end of its lifespan. Grant funding from the PNC Foundation helped cover the costs of replacing carpet throughout the entire house at our Harford County property, and in two bedrooms in our Howard County properties.
 
Baltimore City: If you had to rank the elements of a quality home, the roof is quite literally the highest! A well-installed roof will last for decades with proper maintenance, but the day for replacement eventually comes for all properties. This year, we were able to swap out the crumbling slate tiles of our 4-unit apartment building in Baltimore City with beautiful new 50-year architectural shingles – plus a full set of new gutters! - thanks to very generous funding from the Caroline Fredricka Holdship Charitable Trust, administered by PNC Charitable Trusts, and a grant from The Herbert Bearman Foundation.

We were also able to complete emergency roofing and plumbing repairs at two properties in Baltimore City thanks to grant funds from PNC Foundation.

There's no time like the Springtime to bring a fresh look to a home's 'curb appeal!'

Thanks to two grants totaling $1,825 from the Reynolds/Cristiano Fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation, MSH was able to complete improvement projects at two of our properties.

​​Caroline: Our Thrive House in Denton, MD offers two 2-bedroom units of quality, affordable, supportive housing for four young adults (18-25) with psychiatric disabilities who are aging out of the Foster Care systems of the 5 Mid-Shore counties. Thanks to these grant funds, we were able to have a contractor trim back the overhanging branches of a large tree and remove several very overgrown bushes, both of which were interfering with our ability to maintain the roof and gutters. MSH staff installed new, colorful and low-maintenance shrubbery that enhances the property’s fit in the neighborhood and increases tenants’ pride in their home.

Dorchester County: Our 3-unit apartment building in Cambridge, MD serves a total of four (4) tenants living with psychiatric disabilities and Extremely Low Income. Grant funds were used to complete three important projects. An electrician installed emergency lighting and new 10-year lithium battery smoke detectors in the building’s common hallway. MSH staff added a gravel parking pad in the rear of the building, which is often subject to muddy conditions. Finally, we installed new bushes and mulch along the front of the house. This property is located in an attentive and engaged community, and our efforts to improve the exterior are much appreciated by the tenants and their neighbors. 

​The grants awarded through the Reynolds/Cristiano Fund of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation have elevated both of our properties’ exteriors to match the highest standard of quality in their communities. Being able to feel proud about where you live strengthens your investment in maintaining your home, which translates into a sense of stability that makes continued wellness and recovery possible. On behalf of our Board, staff and tenants, we sincerely thank the members of the Mid-Shore Community Foundation for their continued support of Main Street Housing!

MSH Board of Directors President, Elijah A. Cheek and MSH Executive Director, Ken Wireman, welcomed everyone to the celebration and shared their own reflections on the organization’s journey.
​
Honored guest Dr. Barbara Bazron, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health, shared her congratulations with warm words about Main Street’s lasting impact on the lives of consumers and the critical role of safe and stable housing to recovery from behavioral health disorders. The Behavioral Health Administration has been a primary funder and instrumental to MSH’s success since our inception.
 
Deputy Assistant Secretary John P. Brennan, Jr. of the Maryland Department of Disabilities graciously presented a special Governor’s Citation commemorating our landmark accomplishment and personally commended Main Street Housing for creating quality, affordable housing that truly offers people living with psychiatric disabilities the opportunity to participate fully in communities across Maryland.

​Throughout the evening, a smorgasbord of items tempted even the most resolute attendees into trying something new. Boordy Vineyards poured samples of their most popular blends, the hors d'oeuvres were hot and hearty, and the dessert table was heaped with tempting treats and scrumptious sweets from Scotty Cakes (Baltimore), Fractured Prune Doughnuts (Parkville) and Great Harvest Bread Company (Columbia).

​Attendees’ ears were delighted by jazz pianist Gene Okonski of Ellicott City and a piece for piccolo by UM School of Social Work student intern Casey Saylor. Baltimore-based magician L.G. Gerace, Most Marvelous and The Juggling Kat, Kathryn Carr, amazed and astounded with the tricks of their trades, while guests played Minute-to-Win-It party games. (Stacking five apples is harder than you think!)

​Thanks to the generous donations of local artists, restaurants, theaters, museums, gyms, health professionals and businesses, the Silent Auction tables offered something for every type of New Year’s goal. All funds generated from the event are used to support Main Street Housing’s mission to develop and manage quality, affordable and independent housing for individuals and families living with psychiatric disabilities. We are deeply grateful to our sponsors, whose support made this event possible.

After 15 years of near continuous property production, Main Street Housing (MSH) has reached one of the most exciting milestones a non-profit housing development organization can dream of:
 
Our 100th Tenant Slot!
 
​
Thanks to generous funding through the City of Annapolis Community Development Block Grant and a grant from the Anne Arundel Mental Health Agency, this October MSH broke ground on the property improvement project that will create the opportunity for a new tenant living with psychiatric disabilities and Extremely Low Income to experience quality, affordable, independent housing in their community.
 
Five years ago, MSH purchased a large townhome in a quiet residential community within the City of Annapolis. While it had a sizable ground-floor bedroom, the barrier to having three tenant slots for this building was that the full bathrooms were both on the top floor. One of our standards for a home ‘on Main Street’ is that individuals sharing a unit as co-tenants should have equitable private living and bathing space, and so this property has been occupied by two tenants since 2012.

Thanks to the new grant funding, construction of a new full bathroom on the ground floor started in October and is slated for completion by the end of the year. MSH is currently screening applicants to select the third tenant for the new slot at this property. Over the past 12 months, more than 30 single adult Anne Arundel County residents have applied to MSH, the majority of whom are experiencing homelessness.
 
Since our very first property purchase in 2002, MSH has been growing steadily thanks to the generous support of the MD Department of Health, MD Department of Housing and Community Development, local foundations and individual donors like YOU! We hope you feel as proud as we do!

Renovations are complete and this home has welcomed its third tenant!

Attendees sampled scrumptious sweets donated by Scotty Cakes Handmade Sweets (Baltimore), Great Harvest Bread Company (Columbia), Bonjour French Bakery & Café (Mt. Washington) and Fractured Prune Doughnuts (Parkville), and many enjoyed a tempting wine tasting by Boordy Vineyards.

​Three Silent Auction tables were heaped with baskets themed for every sort of resolution - from health and self-care to creative exploration to creating more quality time with friends and family – all generously donated by local area businesses. ​​​The event was a resounding success and would not have been possible without the tremendous support of our Event Sponsors. ​​Our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who attended, and we can’t wait to see you again next year!

​​Kevin offered a concrete example: “[While] another person managed my money or was my Representative Payee, it [was] impossible to learn how to live independently in a financial sense. It is one thing to learn about being independent in workshops or [psychiatric rehabilitation] programs, but I think experience is the best teacher. During my time [in RRP], I managed to build a life outside it… but still felt like I was going back and forth between two worlds: the adult world and my dependent situation. Finding that I can live independently is empowering, especially since before moving I doubted my abilities to do that.”
 
As of September 2016, four of the five new tenant opportunities are occupied, and we are actively interviewing applicants for the last spot. With a renewable Lease Agreement and an Average Length of Stay of more than four years for tenants who complete the Initial Term, our newest Frederick tenants are looking at a whole new world of possibilities from the front door of their new home ‘on Main Street.’ ​​